The Magic of the Books of Gayle Forman

The Magic of the Books of Gayle Forman by The Book Dealer - Dr. Susan Densmore-James

Once again, I get to host my good friend, Susan James. I first meet Susan when i was still an editor of The ALAN Review (2009-2014) and she was inquiring about writing for the Journal. As I recall, I was pretty new at the job and was doing everything I could to encourage this enthusiastic scholar. Since then we have stayed in touch. Susan came to at least one of the conferences I hosted at Louisiana State University (Find a review of 2014 here and a review of 2015 here.). She has kindly visited my classroom as a Skyped in Scholar. She is well know as the book dealer, a title that her students lovely gave her. Not only is she an advocate for YA books, she is also works tirelessly with a writing project. Yes, you guessed it.  She is another one of those chronically "lazy" teachers who keeps finding ways to work hard and benefit their students. 

WHO: Young adult avid readers (once labeled “struggling” readers)
WHAT: Voraciously reading and talking books
WHEN: 2009-2011
WHERE: Portable located at the east side of school in the back 40  (once erroneously labeled “Dummy Ally” but now affectionately known as a “Home” away from home)
WHY: They were given choice and a teacher who would read and write with them daily
HOW: Parents worked with the teacher to decide which books were best for their teens

Yes, we need to talk about it.

​How do we get our youth reading voraciously?  I promise you, I have the secret formula. GREAT BOOKS + TEACHER WHO READS AND WRITES WITH STUDENTS+ PARENTS/GUARDIANS WHO ENCOURAGE READING (bonus points for reading and talking books with your kids). This results in great communication, open minds, empathy, critical thinking, and (more than likely) better grades.

I am an outlier in academia. I was past middle age when I obtained my PhD and learned about the research behind the “magic” of reading, but I spent 17 glorious years working with our youth, and saw this unparalleled magic happen before my eyes. I am here to tell you, when you talk about books with kids, our youth are the most interesting, insightful, and quite knowledgeable  humans on the planet.  

If you have read any of my reviews, you know I am a voracious reader of middle and YA literature, and I know because of this, I am a better person for it. Research has proven what the power of reading does for us. Even though I was the one to start sharing the “magic” in the way of book talks and authentic relationship building, it was the youth that led me to what they loved to read. Many of my experiences can be found in past reviews in both Bickmore Wednesday Posts and Weekend Picks. But today, I am writing about one author who was introduced to me by my students: Gayle Forman, author extraordinaire. The entire list of her books are on the linked site, but I highly suggest buying them at a local independent bookstore like Bodacious Bookstore in my town (go treat yourself to a hot coffee and smell the unrivaled smell of the books!).
 
These teens from my classes (2009-2011) continue to be readers. And they have stayed (pun intended) with her since her first novel in 2009, If I Stay.  I could not keep it on my shelf.  I had to purchase multiple copies, and they are still high up on the list of most read in my university classroom. The last year I taught  high school, the excitement was palpable in my trailer when the sequel arrived: Where She Went was just as much of a hot commodity. I have remained a part of the lives of these readers (even being godmother to one young man’s daughter). And what do I love most? They still text me about their readings. Gayle’s writing followed them into their twenties and now, as they have rounded the corner, into their thirties.  

​I love hearing students discuss the themes in Forman’s books: Students of all ages find the characters relatable and love discussing the importance of relationships found threaded throughout Gayle’s books. Many of my high school students had already experienced great loss in their lives, and it was always insightful for me to hear them discuss how the characters would move forward in life and learn what type of person would exit from the brutal aftermath of a crisis.  I heard students talk about the importance of friends in their  lives and how their friends could and did shape them as well as guide them in making difficult choices. My only wish is that every adult could be a fly on the wall of a similar classroom and hear what our youth have to say! They are savvy consumers of books and conduct amazing group discussions without adults messing with their book magic. 

One of my students in my history/English methods course came to me with one of Gayle’s new books. After she gobbled up all of Forman’s books, she landed on a middle grades treasure entitled  Not Nothing. I had it in my pile at home, but once again author Donna Gephardt (one of my best book dealers and another phenomenal author) posted it, so I knew I had to read it and moved it to the top of the pile. One word for you:  WOW. This past semester, there were only 9 students in the class (which is a shame, as we are slowly hemorrhaging teachers, but that is a whole other blog post). The young university student came into class waving the book around and telling the entire class we must read it. So what happened? All 9 of them read it. Why? Well, besides Gayle being an incredible writer, hearing a peer say, “You must read this” is a powerful tool for inspiring reading. It just takes one book to set the ball in motion. That is how our youth roll!

​Not Nothing is truly a book that every human should read. First, it has a unique approach of using  multigenerational characters and two voices: Alex, age 12, and Josey, age 107. Aside from the obvious difference in age, these two characters could not be any more different. Under the care (if one can call it care)  of his  aunt and uncle, Alex has chosen to cause trouble in response to the pain of  his now absent mother. The trouble is so bad, a judge has sentenced him to spend his summer volunteering at Shady Glen, a retirement home. Alex is horrified by the often-cruel  aging process.  And to add to the situation, he is put off by the annoying and very bossy Maya-Jade, another young person who volunteers at Shady Glen due to her grandmother living there. The judge and social worker are giving Alex another chance, as he is at the start of his teenage years and could learn about the value of hard work and the importance of true-blue relationships.  

​Josie, on the other hand, is ready for his long life to be over. He has suffered horrible atrocities in his life, including living in a ghetto during World War II and escaping from a concentration camp. He refuses to speak since his arrival at Shady Glen.  That is…until Alex shows up at his door to deliver his food.  Through these two characters’ daily visits, Alex learns about Olka, Josie’s true love, and the two form an unlikely but life changing bond. Through Josie’s  story, Alex learns what it means to “Rise to the Occasion” and truly face and acknowledge the seriousness of  his past mistakes.  

I read so much that I am not one for reading a book a second time due to all the books that await me and the little time I have left!. Only a select few have been read a second time. Not Nothing is one I will read again, and I will surely read my highlighted portions, as this book left me with a sense of hope, a reminder about the importance of strong relationship building with our youth, and a firm reminder of a pivotal historical event that can be prevented when we stand together as one. There is no greater way to avoid atrocities like World War II than to read about this period in history and discuss the ramifications. Gayle knows this and has created a magical book at a relevant time in society.

A last note: Gayle Forman includes one of the best author’s notes I have ever read. She clearly and passionately writes to us about her seven-year journey writing this treasure of a book. She shares her story and experiences resulting from World War II and shares how she used the true love story from WWII of Jerzy Bielecki and Cyla Cybulska, a young interfaith couple, and how this story influenced her writing of Not Nothing. I was left in tears for what was lost during this period in history, but Gayle Forman, in her unique Gayle Forman way, left me more determined than ever to continue to share the important stories of the past with our youth. Stories are what can transform us as people and transform our world to a more beautiful, peaceful place.